Lamp mounting



' 1,639,336 Aug. 16,1927. n HUE GANNETT LAMP MOUNTING Filed June 27. 1924 Il Lm l Patented Aug; 16, li927.

f .UNITED STATES PATENT -OFFICE.

' LAMP v MOUNTING.'

,Application sied June 27. 1924. serial 120.722,651.

My invention relates to a mounting for lamps and more particularly to a mounting for electriclamps as 'employed in railroad stations and on railroad property; that `is to say, more especially to the type of electric lamps which are suspended from suitable overhead fixtures ork supports; the invention having for its object the provision of means for absorbing the shocks to which Athe lamp or the supporting ixtures are subjected. u

The purpose ot' my invention is to provide means whereby the vibrations or shocks encountered by the supporting' fixtures or brackets will be 'absorbed without transmitting same to the lamp'proper, namely to the electric bulb or its iilament; the device being adapted to eliminate breakage of the lamp proper or injuryA of the filament of the bulb by preventing the vibrations of the supporting fixtures or brackets being transmitted to the lamp and more. particularly to the electric bulb; while at the same time providing means which will in nok'way intertere with or affect the lead lines Vor wiresv leading to the bulb-receiving socket member of the lamp. A Y I IThe objects and advantages of my invention will be more readily comprehended from the detailed description of the accompanying .drawing7 wherein:

Figure 1 isla side elevation of a supporting member or bracket and an electric lamp vprovided with my improved device or lamp vmounting. f f ,A Y

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional viewtaken substantially on the line `2--2 of Figure 1. Figure v3- is a cross sectional .view rtaken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a' detail'view7 in perspective, of

. one of the springs used to control asocketforming member yof the device.

.ln-the -specilic exemplification ot my invention as disclosed in the drawing, it com- .prises a-cup-shapedfmember `or cap 10 preterably provided with an internally threaded .boss 411 adapted to receive. a supporting tube orpi-pe 12 whereby theylamp is supported from a suitable bracket as at' 13 secured to the upright or supporting frame 14 of the building or structure. It will be understood .that any suitable means Y of attaching or supporting the lamp may be "employed, the

Y drawing merely showing a simple and-convenient `form forthe purpose ot illustrating -the application of the invention.V Theconduit or pipe 12 is also intended toy receive the lead lines or electric wires, indicated at 15 in Figure 2, which extend through to the interior of the member 10 where they are shown connected with the wires 1 6 which extend through a conduit 17 to the lower end whereof is secured the usual socket member for receiving the bulb 18; the socket member being enclosed `in a suitable shellV as at 19 wlhereby the reflector 2O is` also secured in p ace. y v

My improved device is intended to be situated at any convenient point betweenthe lamp proper and the supporting or attaching bracket in order that vibrations or jars y encounteredV by the upright or structure to which the bracket rissecured will vbe absorbed and not conveyed to the bulb of the lamp.l

For the sake of ease in assembly and access to enclosed parts, the cupmember 10 is preferably provided with a separate band or shell 21 removably secured in place by `means of screws 22; with the cup member overlapping the band or shell 21 to the exteriorso as to prevent the ingress o1 moisture. Thev shell 21, at itsvlower end, is closed7 the closure being preferably effected by a disc 23 removablypheld in place by suitable screws 24. The closed end or disc 23 is provided' with a comparatively large opening 25v tor the passage of the conduit 17, to permit rotative movement between the shell 21 and the cond-uitl? without contact .therebetween. The Adisc V23 is provided with a member 26 preferably in the form of a split'4 rino shown secured together by screws 27 with one segment .of the ringl being shown with cut-out portions at 28 to receive the heads of the screws and permit easy manipulation thereof.

The split ring segments at their inner periineters are formed with a dished or concaved opening to provide a, socket for the spherical or .ball portion 29vformed on or secured to the conduit 17, thereby providing a ball-and-socket connection whereby convduit 17 is held in place and at the same time permitted to have oscillatory movement. The ring segments or portions are normally arranged ,with their ends slightly spaced apart as shown in Figure 3 so that they may be drawn together by the bolts or screws27 to take up any wear that may take place between the ring members and the spherical portion 29 ofl conduit 17. The split ring 26 is preferably of a diameter materially smaller than the inner diameter ot shell 2l, to provide sutlicient space therebetween for a suitable number of coil springs 30; one end of each springbeing disposed substantially parallel with the axis oi: the spring and secured within the adjacent segment o' the ringv as shown at 3l in Figure 2; while the outer' ends oi' the springs bear against the sides oli the shell 2l; the springs being,- preterably normally under slight compression.

llVith this construction it is apparent that the split ring 26 and therefore also conduit 17 are both yieldingly held in centered position; while at the same time permitting oscillatory movement between the split ring 26 and the shell 2l, and also relative movement between shell 2l and ring` 26 with conduit i7 in a lateral direction, in the event ot any ars or vibrations being` encountered eitheiI by thesuspended lamp or the structure or tixture from which the lamp is supported.

The shell 21, at a point above the split ring` 2G, is shown provided with a diaphragm or disc 32, which may be welded or secured at its outer perimeter to the shell 2l, and arranged in slight spaced relation with'the split ring' so as to offer no resistance to the latter. rlhe disc 32 is provided with an enlarged opening; as shown at 33 for the upper portion ot the spherical enlargement 29 of conduit l? and the passage of the upper end ot said conduit; the opening 33 being),v of a size suihcient to permit any lateral movement of the split ring and the conduit as well as any oscillatory movement of the conduit 17. The disc 32 provides a seat or bearina' for a double helical spring` 34 whose apex or inner coil is in bearing relation with or secured to a collar 35 shown screwed onto the upper threaded end ot conduit 17. The upper enlarged coil orv end of the double helical spring` 3i is secured in anyV suitable manuer to the inner side of shell 2l, as for enample by having the end of the spring wound about a set screw 36 shown provided with a washer 37, thus causing the upper end of the spring to be firmly held in place. rlhe opposite side ot the upper turn or coil is also preferably supported and held in proper horizontal plane and against too far downward movement by a set-screw 38. With the means shown, the double helical spring 34 will be maintained in proper position within the shell andpermit reemovement oi' the intermediate coils or turns. It isv evident,

however. that instead of employing a double helical spring as shown, two helical springs may be employed with the smaller coils or turns of the springs secured about the collar 35.

With the construction shown, it is apparent that the initial torce or effect of any ar encountered either by the lamp support or the lamp proper will be transmittedthrough conduit 17 and be absorbed by the helical spring 34 at the upper end ot the conduit i7 the spring, or springs as the-case may be, being` of a nature to permit lateral flexing or movement of the reduced end of the spring as well as any vertical or up and down movement. It the jar or vibration is heavy or excessive and in a lateral direction, then, in' addition to the jar or vibration being absorbed-by the helical sprinp` 34, it will also be absorbed by the lower springs 30 induced by any lateral movement of the split ring member 26.

My invention is especially intended to overcome the material loss and expense encountered more especially by railroads at railroad stations and freight-houses, through the breakage or" either the bulb orits lilame'nt or other parts of the lamp, such breakage being,` caused by heavytrucks, or the baggage haulingtractors colliding;` with the supporting girders or uprights from which the lamps are supported; lamps will be properly supported in place without a rigid connection between the lamp and the'supporting structure or bracket, the invention providing a device or mount-ing lVith my invention, the i' which will permit vertical as well as oscillatory movement of the lamp properand at the same time completely absorb the shocks and vibrations without transmittingry them to the lamp or the bulb and theretore without causing` injury to the filament orl the bulb as has, however, heretofore been the case.

l have illustrated what I believe to be a simple embodiment of my invent-ion, which may be applied to any suitable type of standard or supporting bracket; the invention having been described in terms employed merely as terms of descriptionV and not as terms of limitation, as structural modiications are possible and maybe made without, however, departing fromv the spirit of my invention,

What I claim is Y 1- .A lamp .mounting ot the character described, comprising, a supporting shell having an apertured end wall, a contractible'V socket forming member slidably mounted on said end wall, a. plurality of springs intermediate of the sides lof the socket forming member and the shell for yieldingly maintaining the socket forming member in posi-" tion, a lamp holding conduit disposed through said apertured end wall and provided with a spherical portion seatable in said socket. forming member so as to permit oscillatory movement of the conduit, and al' khelical spring within said shell and disposed about the end of said conduit. Y 2. A lamp mounting of the character described, comprising a supporting shell having; an apertured end wall and a diaphragm in parallel spaced relation with the end wall,

ed with a spherical enlargement seatable in y said socket opening, and a helical spring within the shell about the inner end of said conduit.

3. In a lamp mounting of the character described, a main shell or housing adapted to be connected to a lamp bracket or supporting frame, a lamp socket carrying con-l duit, a ball-and-socket connection between the conduit and the main shell whereby oscillatory movement of the conduit relative to the shell may be permitted, said connection having lateral sliding relation with the shell, resilient means having bearing relation at the ends with the shell while an intermediate portion of said means is operatively connected with said conduit above said balland-socket connection, and means intermediate of the sides of the main shell and the ball-and-socket connection whereby the latter with the conduit is yieldingly held relative to the sides of the shell. l

4. A lamp mounting of the character described, comprising a shell adapted to be secured to a bracket or stem for supporting the lamp in place, a socket-forming member mounted in the shell, said member having socket carrying conduit disposedtransverse sliding relation with said shell, a 4

conduit provided with a spherical portion seatable in the socket forming member to permit oscillatory movement of the conduit, resilient means disposed about the conduit above said spherical portion in bearing rela" tion with the conduit and secured at the end to the shell, and resilient means intermediate of the socket forming member and the sides of the shell for yieldingly holding the socket forming member in normal position relative to the sidesof the shell.

5. A lamp mounting of the character described, comprising a supporting shell having a lower apertured end wall, an apertured partition within the shell in spaced parallel relation with the lower end wall, a socket forming member slidable intermediate of said end wall and the partition and held against vertical movement by the partition,`

a ylamp holding conduit disposed through thel apertures in the end wall and partition and provided with a spherical portion seatable in said socket-forming member, a double helical spring about the upper end 0i the conduit with its intermediate portion operatively.secured to the upper end of the conduit while one end thereof is secured to the shell and the other end in bearing relation with said partition, and a plurality of springs disposed in circumferential spaced relation intermediate of the sides of the shell and socket forming member to yieldingly hold the latter in place.

HOMER E. GANNETT. 

